Gate closing and latching device.



W. D. ALFORD.

GATE CLOSING AND LATCHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. I915.

Patented 00t..31.1916.

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WILLIAM DAVID ALFORD, OF SAT/ISBN, ALABAMA.

GATE CLOSING AND LATCHING DEVICE.

Application filed July 26, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM D. ALroRD, citizen of the United States, residing at Samson, in the county of Geneva and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Gate Closing and Latching Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto an improvement in gate closing and latching devices, and the object is to provide means for closing the gate when swung to an open position, and when swung to closed position the latch will be caused to operate for confining the gate in closed position.

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Many slight changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the several parts to be described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and hence I do not wish to be limited to the exact c011- struction herein set forth.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure l is a view in elevation showing the gate mounted on the posts and in a closed position. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation showing the opposite sideof the gate than that disclosed in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

A and B represent two posts, and the gate G is hinged to the post A by means of hinges 1. A latch plate 2 is mounted upon gate C in which a bolt 3 is slidably mounted. A latch lever 4 is pivotally connected to the bolt 3 and is fulcrumed to the gate by a pin 5. A keeper 6 is mounted upon the post B which is adapted to be engaged by the bolt 3 for maintaining the gate in its closed position. A hanger 7 is connected to the post A on the opposite side thereof from the hinges 1, and is provided with a vertical slot 8 in which a pulley 9 is mounted. The outer terminal of the hanger is bent or extends at right angles to the main portion of the hanger and is provided with a horizontal slot 10 in which a pulley 11 is mounted.

A rope or cable 12 is connected to the latch lever 4, above the fulcrum 5, and passes around an idler 13 mounted upon the top rail 14 of the gate C. The rope then passes between the slats or pickets 15, around the horizontal pulley 11, and thence through a slot 16 in the hanger 7 and over Specification of Letters Patent.

latented Oct. 31, 1916.

Serial No. 41,959.

the vertical pulley 9. A weight 17 is connected to the free end of the rope or cable 12 for insuring the actuation of the latch and the closing of the gate when thrown in open position.

When the gate is to be swung to an open position the operator will move the lever 4 toward the post B, causing the bolt 3 to be withdrawn from engagement with the keeper 6. The gate can now be swung outwardly and when it is desired to close the gate the gate can be released and the weight 17 will cause the gate to return to closed position and, as soon as the lever is released by the operator the weight will cause the bolt to be thrown outwardly and the latch lever rearwardly, so that the latch will be in a position to engage the keeper 6 and become engaged thereby when the gate is brought into closed position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a very simple attachment to a gate for causing a latching of the gate, and which can be made and applied to any gate at a very small cost.

lVhat is claimed is 1. The combination with a post, and a gate hinged thereto, of a hanger connected to the post provided with horizontal and vertical pulleys, a latch connected to the gate, a cable connected at one end to the latch and passing around the horizontal and vertical pulleys, and means connected to the opposite end of the cable to draw the same longitudinally for causing the gate to be closed and the latch actuated.

2. The combination with spaced apart hinge and latch posts, and a gate mounted. on the hinge post. of a vertically extending latch lever pivoted between its ends to the outer end of the gate, a latch bolt provided at the lower end of the latch lever, a hanger on one side of the hinge post having pulleys therein, a cable secured at one end to the upper end of the latch lever and extending laterally from the gate and over said pulleys in the hanger, and a w ight connected to the opposite end of said cable for drawing the same longitudinally to close the gate, and to yieldingly hold the latch lever inwardly to project said latch bolt into engagement with the latch post.

3. The combination with a hinge post, a latch post having a keeper plate thereon, and a gate mounted on the hinge post, of a latch plate on the outer end of the gate, a

latch bolt slidable through said plate, a latch lever pivoted on the gate and having connection below its pivot with said bolt, a cable secured at one end to the lever above its pivot and extending backwardly therefrom longitudinally of the gate, a horizontally disposed idler on the gate near its inner end to receive-said cable and direct it laterally from the gate, a hanger on .one side of the hinge post having horizontal and vertical pulleys therein to receive the inner end of the cable thereover and direct the same downwardly, and a weight on the inner end of the cable for drawing the same longitudinally to pull the gate closed and 'to-pull'the latch leverbackwardly and project said bolt into engagement with said ture iII'fihBJJI'GSBHCQ of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM DAVID. ALFORD.

JVitnesses A. ,HoLLowAY, M. F. ANDn ssoN.

.Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by .addressing the Commissioner ofPatents, Washington, D. C. 

